Hitagi Senjougahara
Hitagi Senjougahara (戦場ヶ原 ひたぎ, Senjōgahara Hitagi) is a third-year student of Naoetsu Private High School. She is considered to be a frail-looking girl with an "incurable disease" and is distant from others. In an accidental encounter with Koyomi Araragi, her closely kept secret is exposed, and triggers a life-changing experience. In the course of the series she receives the nickname Gahara and uses the alias Senshougahara. She is the titular protagonist of three main arcs: Hitagi Crab, Hitagi End, and Hitagi Rendezvous, and of six minor arcs: Hitagi Buffet, Hitagi Neck, Hitagi Salamander, Hitagi Coin, Hitagi Figure, and Hitagi Throwing. Appearance Hitagi is a beautiful girl with long purple hair (dark brown in the novels) and blue eyes. She has a glamorous figure, although she is also considered a "frail" girl due to her lack of participation in school activities. She wears the Naoetsu Private High School uniform the usual way while wearing black thigh-highs and can be seen wearing dresses or similar clothing that cover up to her knees. In later events, she has the sleeves of her uniform rolled up and pinned in place, turning her uniform into a sleeveless blouse and has short hair. Hitagi bake designs.jpg|Designs for Bakemonogatari Hitagi bake.jpg F9G3bUy.jpg hitagi koi designs.png|Designs for Koimonogatari hitagi tsuki designs.png|Designs for Tsukimonogatari Hitagi Owari designs.jpg|Designs for Owarimonogatari 2 Zoku Owarimonogatari Concept Art - Hitagi Senjougahara.jpg|Designs for Zoku Owarimonogatari Personality Hitagi possesses a sharp tongue and can be blunt while still maintaining a straight face when speaking to others. This trait of hers makes interacting with her a challenging task, if not impossible, and is something that Araragi discovers first-hand. In spite of this, she is sincere in everything that she says. She calls herself a tsundere (but she is more of a kuudere) and probably has some understanding of otaku culture, as she once mentions how "moe" Meme's name was to Araragi. After the events in Tsukihi Phoenix, she overcame all of her trauma and finally became a completely normal and cheerful girl, chuckling at small things although her sharp tongue is still present, only toned down. Background For the three years of high school, Hitagi is in the same class as Koyomi, although she has rarely spoken with anyone for that time. Likewise, Tsubasa Hanekawa knows little of Hitagi's current state, only judging her from what she knew back in middle school. According to Tsubasa, Hitagi was an overachiever in middle school - she was friendly towards others and excelled in both academics and sports as a varsity track and field athlete. She was also wealthy, as her father was famous in a certain foreign corporation and she lived in a mansion. Despite this, she retained a sense of humility. Her seemingly perfect personality granted her the admiration of her classmates and teachers.Bakemonogatari Episode 01: Hitagi Crab, Part 1 When she was in the first year of high school, she encountered a mysterious crab, after which she became weightless. Ever since, she has avoided contact with everyone else, and she threatens everyone who discovers that secret of hers, including her friend Suruga Kanbaru.Bakemonogatari Episode 06: Suruga Monkey, Part 1 Hitagi reveals that she had a close brush with death when a disease threatened her life, barely surviving the ordeal through an extensive surgery. What happened to her caused her mother to seek refuge in a cult, which eventually initiated the deterioration of the Senjougahara household. Hitagi's mother lost the family's wealth to the cult, and one of the cult's high-ranking members attempted to rape Hitagi. She protected herself by hitting him with a spiked shoe, causing him serious injury. However, Hitagi's mother took the side of the attacker, abandoning the family and leaving them with a large debt, which Hitagi's father is currently trying to pay back. Plot ''Hitagi Crab'' In an accident involving a misplaced banana peel, Hitagi falls down the flight of stairs that lead to the upper floors of Naoetsu Private High School and ends up in the arms of Koyomi Araragi, her classmate. Later that day, she confronts Koyomi about how he found out her secret and threatens to hurt him unless he promises to keep quiet about his discovery. Koyomi, in spite of this, declares his intention to help, showing the completely healed wound where Hitagi implanted a staple into his cheek moments earlier. Shocked by Koyomi's immediate recovery, Hitagi decides to accompany him on his trip to the person who might be able to turn her back to normal: an eccentric man named Meme Oshino. She learns from Meme that she was inflicted by an oddity called a Heavy Stone Crab (or "god"), who took away her weight in a past encounter with it. Although reluctant to cooperate with Meme, who reminded her of the scammers who once visited her with the same promises of turning back to normal, she agrees to follow Meme's methods, and is even willing to pay 100,000 yen for his services. As advised by Meme, Hitagi changes into a set of clean clothes as part of the ceremony planned by Meme, before returning with Koyomi to Meme's place. Hitagi is then put into a situation where she would recall the memories of her life. Afterwards, the heavy stone crab manifests in front of her, visible only to Hitagi herself. Although the unpredictable behavior of the entity forces Meme to intervene, Hitagi manages to plead to the heavy stone crab to lift its influence from her. The heavy stone crab grants her wish and departs, leaving behind Hitagi with the burdens of her childhood on her shoulders. She begins to cry while Meme explains her resolution. After the ordeal with the heavy stone crab, Hitagi shows her gratitude to Araragi and he becomes her first friend after a long time. Koyomi Flower ''Mayoi Snail'' Hitagi meets Araragi by chance in Namishiro Park dressed with a set of clothes she just bought. She and Araragi talk about several things, including how she would repay him for his help in turning her back to normal, and she considers unusual methods to return the favor, much to Araragi's shock. Soon, Araragi's attention is shifted towards a young girl who seems lost. Following Koyomi's advice, they help the girl, named Mayoi Hachikuji, on her way back home, but they soon find themselves unable to reach the address. They later decide to consult Meme about Mayoi, and they discover that she is a lost cow (a play on the word "snail" (蝸牛, katatsumuri) which has the character for "cow" (牛, ushi)). On her return trip to the park where Araragi is, she finally confesses that she had been pretending to have been aware of Mayoi's presence and that Araragi is the only one inflicted by the oddity (i.e. Mayoi herself). According to Hitagi, Mayoi had already died years ago, and people who are victims of the lost cow often have problems at home. This causes Araragi (and Tsubasa, who also has problems of her own at home) to be able to see and interact with Mayoi. Nonetheless, Hitagi decides to help out with Mayoi's problem, showing an alternate route that is supposed to confuse the oddity by introducing roads that Mayoi has not seen before. Hitagi, Araragi and Mayoi soon reach the remnants of the former Hachikuji residence, now simply an empty lot, and the two witness Mayoi's fulfillment of her final objective before moving on. After the accomplishment of their mission with Mayoi, Hitagi admits that she loves Koyomi, and she subsequently enters into a relationship with him. ''Suruga Monkey'' To prepare for the school's midterm examinations, Hitagi prepares a group study session with Koyomi. In one of those sessions, she prepares the money she owed Meme after curing her of her unusual condition. However, Araragi forgets to take the money with him, so Hitagi goes to catch up with him. She later happens across Araragi who had been badly wounded by an attack that he tried to explain as "a bike accident gone horribly wrong" and helps him recover in her own unusual way. Hitagi soon hears about Araragi facing her middle school friend Suruga Kanbaru from Meme himself and, seemingly as Meme planned, intervenes with the Rainy Devil's relentless attacks against Araragi. After scolding Araragi for dealing with things without her knowing about it, she confronts Suruga, telling her that she will not forgive anyone who would kill Araragi before reconciling with her friend. After the Rainy Devil leaves Suruga behind, the two become friends once again. ''Nadeko Snake'' Senjougahara decides to give Kanbaru some time together with Araragi so that the two can be friends after the events involving the Rainy Devil. She even allows Kanbaru to choose a necessary punishment for him if Araragi ever gives her trouble, much to Koyomi's worry. Tsubasa later considers this move by Hitagi as rather alarming, as it would force Koyomi into a situation wherein he would end up helping others at the expense of hurting another's feelings. Tsubasa Cat After growing cat ears, Tsubasa Hanekawa asks Senjougahara to take care of preparations for Naoetsu High's Cultural Festival so that she can meet up with Koyomi Araragi during schooltime. Senjougahara later visits Eikou Cram School with Araragi, Hanekawa and Suruga Kanbaru, the makeshift home of Meme Oshino. They find out that Oshino has left, and Araragi realises that Oshino never liked goodbyes, so he had said goodbye to Araragi the day before without him realising it. The final scene of the arc shows Senjougahara, Hanekawa and Araragi in front of the cultural festival, most likely running it and enjoying themselves. Koyomi Water ''Karen Bee'' After Koyomi mentions his encounter with an ominous man outside the Suruga household to Hitagi, she knocks Koyomi out and detains him inside an unknown location which she claims she is doing "to protect him". During this time, Hitagi provides food and drink to Koyomi while he is chained up to the wall, but later allows him to escape his restraints after she relays a message about his sister. She later reveals that she has been "working for" Tsubasa in confronting Deishuu Kaiki, the first of five conmen who had swindled the Senjougahara family of much of their money, after his arrival in town and his influencing the middle school Koyomi's younger sisters attend. She initially planned to take Kaiki down herself and refuses any help, even from Koyomi. However, after a short talk with Koyomi, who shares Hitagi's negative feelings about Kaiki due to Karen's oddity-related sickness, she allows Koyomi to join her. The day after, Hitagi and Koyomi meet up with Kaiki in a nearby department store's rooftop amusement park, where Hitagi confronts the con man for the first time in a long time. During their conversation, Hitagi is unable to defend herself against Kaiki's deceitful words, but is able to negotiate Kaiki's departure from the town, finally curbing the spread of supernatural charms among junior high school students in the area. ''Tsukihi Phoenix'' Hitagi leaves town with her father during Tsukihi Phoenix, spending much of summer vacation at a beach elsewhere. It is shown by the end of the arc in the anime that Hitagi has cut her hair short. The short haircut serves as a turning point for Hitagi. She had had the same hairstyle ever since grade school, so she decided to go to a hair salon to finally change it. Hitagi did this because she was finding closure about everything that has happened to her in the past, and was her way of accepting it.NISEMONOGATARI: Fake Tale, Part 2. Tsukihi Phoenix. Chapter 005, pp. 98-100. Published by Vertical. Tsubasa Tiger A fire breaks out at the Hanekawa Residence, causing Tsubasa to lose her home and belongings. Hitagi warmly accepts her into her apartment unit in Tamikura-sou, where Tsubasa spends a few days until Hitagi's father returns, forcing Hitagi to bring her to the Araragi Residence. During Tsubasa's stay in her house, Hitagi manages to talk to Black Hanekawa, and this motivates Tsubasa's alternate persona to protect Hitagi and her home from an attack by the oddity later named Kako. Ougi Formula Two years before the present time, a first-year Hitagi was part of the class that was put under scrutiny after the results of the final exams for mathematics revealed a big margin between the scores of those who joined a study group and those who didn't. Hitagi achieved a score of 98, the third highest in the class, but mostly eluded the commotion in the class assembly held by then class president Sodachi Oikura because of her aloof personality. Sodachi Riddle Sodachi returns to school after two years since the mathematics exam incident. She expresses her loathing toward Koyomi and stabs him with a pen, but Hitagi appears, threatens to kill Sodachi and claims that she is the sole person allowed to stab Koyomi with stationery. Despite Tsubasa's attempts to restrain Hitagi and stop her from doing anything violent, Hitagi is slapped by Sodachi, and Hitagi knocks her out with a punch before falling unconscious herself. Shinobu Mail After Koyomi manages to defeat Shinobu's first minion, he calls Senjougahara. They discuss their current circumstances, and Hitagi comments that she is trying hard to become Araragi's bride. She also admits that she would switch to a more-qualified person than Koyomi if given the chance. Hitagi also mentions how much effort she puts into being a special person for Koyomi and Kanbaru, and tells Koyomi that she loves him. ''Nadeko Medusa'' Hitagi contacts Koyomi by phone, who is attacked by Nadeko, and she makes a deal with the snake god, asking her to wait until after graduation ends, after which Nadeko can freely kill her, followed by Koyomi and his companion Shinobu Oshino. Nadeko accepts the deal, and becomes the god of Kita-Shirahebi Shrine for the meantime. During Hitagi's phone conversation with Nadeko, Hitagi states that she hates cute brats like Nadeko. ''Hitagi End'' At the start of the new year, Hitagi contacts Deishuu Kaiki to request him for an important job. This request takes the two to Okinawa, where Hitagi asks Deishuu to deceive Nadeko Sengoku in order to save her and Koyomi's lives. Initially, Deishuu sees himself uninterested in helping Hitagi and meddling with the affairs of a snake god. However, he eventually agrees to the job by using Suruga Kanbaru's well-being as a source of motivation. Hitagi and Deishuu maintain a line of communication during the latter's sole investigation of Nadeko's circumstances, and she occasionally meets with Deishuu to ask about the progress of his work, as well as share information about Nadeko. (Eventually, Deishuu receives better information about Nadeko from Tsubasa Hanekawa, who is eluding both Hitagi and Izuko Gaen.) Deishuu eventually finishes the job and extracts the snake god talisman from Nadeko's body, after which Hitagi thanks the conman for the last time. Yotsugi Doll On Valentine's Day, after dealing with a troubling episode of manifesting the characteristics of a vampire, Koyomi visits Hitagi at her house in Tamikura-sou. No longer the distant girl from before, she is cheerful enough to call Koyomi "Koyokoyo" and she prepares handmade chocolate for him. Koyomi eventually talks with Hitagi about his most recent experiences and she romantically shoves it aside, urging Koyomi to postpone his current plans in favor of spending more time with her. Koyomi Dead On the day of the college entrance exam, Hitagi was supposed to escort Koyomi in the exam site. She tried to call him to know his whereabouts since the exam will start soon. Unknown to her, Koyomi was killed by Izuko Gaen who was wielding the actual Kokorowatari which sent him to Avici Hell. Hitagi Rendezvous Koyomi Reverse Trivia *Light novel artwork depicts Hitagi with brown hair, unlike the TV series which has her sporting purple hair. It's worth noting that some scenes in the TV series still show her with dark brownish or black hair, though this is mostly during color palette changes in Bakemonogatari. *Hitagi's first name is said to be a related to the term "public works". In fact, the only way to write Hitagi's name using kanji is through "肥田木", which are the kanji for "fertilizer", "field" and "tree" respectively. Meanwhile, the term "public works" is written in kanji as "土木", which are the kanji for "soil" and "tree" respectively. But since Hitagi's name is written using hiragana, this is quite irrelevant. *Hitagi's blood type is O. *Her surname means "battlefield" in general, but can also mean a certain mythical battlefield between the gods of Mt. Nantai and those of Mt. Akagi (Source: here). *Senjougahara weighs 45 kg based on her body measurements, but was only 5 kg when she was under the influence of the heavy crab, meaning she wasn't literally "weightless", but rather "weighed less." *Hitagi was born on July 7th, making her sun sign Cancer, the crab. *Hitagi's signature weapon, a stapler, is meant to resemble a crab's claws. Appears In Main Series * Bakemonogatari * Nisemonogatari * Nekomonogatari * Otorimonogatari * Koimonogatari * Tsukimonogatari * Koyomimonogatari * Owarimonogatari * Zoku Owarimonogatari * Musubimonogatari Short Stories * Bakemonogatari Anime Complete Guidebook * Nisemonogatari Anime Complete Guidebook * Yomiuri Shimbun * Bakemonogatari (Introduction) * Bakemonogatari Premium Item Box * Bakemonogatari (manga) (Vol 1 Special Edition) * Bakemonogatari (manga) (Vol 2 Special Edition) Manga * Seishun Kijinden! Nishio Gakuen * Bakemonogatari (manga) Other * Hyakumonogatari * Bakemonogatari Portable * Magica Quartet x Nisioisin * Okitegami Kyouko no Bibouroku x Monogatari * Magia Record Gallery Bakemonogatari 1 Cover.png|First depiction on the cover of Bakemonogatari Vol 1. Koimonogatari Cover.jpg|Cover of Koimonogatari. Owarimonogatari Cover 3.jpg|Cover of Owarimonogatari Vol 3. Bakemonogatari Vol.1 Rerelease (ebook).png|Cover of Bakemonogatari ebook Vol 1. Bake1eng.jpg|Cover of the English edition of Bakemonogatari Vol 1. Musubimonogatari cover.jpg|Cover of Musubimonogatari. koieng.jpg|Cover of the English version of Koimonogatari. Koyomimonogatari Eng1.jpg|Cover of the English version of Koyomimonogatari Vol 1 Bakemono0009.png Koimonogatari 008-009.png Owarimonogatari 3 137-136.png Bakemonogatari Episode 1 Endcard.jpg Vofan hitagi.jpg 4054f0d6af2246d4f8cda1868cf2cc7f1518591309 full.jpg|Preview of her design in the Bakemonogatari manga adaptation Manga hitagi.jpg Bake.Special Bake.vol 1 Bakemonogatari Poster.jpg|Cover of the Bakemonogatari anime series. Staple stable cover.jpg bakemonogatari-key-animation-note-vol-1-art-book-7-2.jpg ジャケット1.png Koimonogatari bluray.jpg Koi2.jpg owari2cover.png DNDXGf7VQAA e2V.jpg Ueda hitagi.jpg|Senjougahara in the Hajime Ueda style. Araragi catches senjougahara.jpg|Araragi catching Senjougahara in the beginning of Bakemonogatari Hitagi profile.jpg Bake01-hitagi's weapons.jpg Bake 02 - hitagi's first smile.jpg|Smiling Senjougahara's new clothes.jpg|Casual wear from Bakemonogatari hitagiiiiiiiiiiii.png|From Nekomonogatari White. hitagiiiiiiii.png Hitagi second season.jpg hitagiiiiiiiiii.png|Short haired winter Senjougahara from Koimonogatari 1436275589814.jpeg|Short haired Hitagi as she appears in Tsukimonogatari owari hitagi.jpg|In Owarimonogatari. 7UFBvXQ.png|In Koyomimonogatari. owari 2 hitagi 5.jpg|In the second part of Owarimonogatari. owari 2 hitagi 1.jpg owari 2 hitagi 4.png owari 2 hitagi 2.jpg owari 2 hitagi 3.png References Navigation es:Hitagi Senjougahara ru:Хитаги Сэнджогахара it:Senjougahara Hitagi Category:Characters Category:Females Category:Heroines Category:Oddity Inflicted Characters